, 1887-08-12
THE PENALTY PAID.
Fred HOpt at Last Suffers for
His Horrible Crime.
Legally Shot to Death in Salt
Lake City.
A Case Which Has Hung Fire
For Over Six Years.
Shot tor Murder.

SALT LAKE, Aug. 1l.-Fred Hopt,
alias Welcome, was shot to death in the
yard of the penitentiary four miles from
this city at l2:45 to day. The firing party
consisted of five men with rifles. DR..
Hamilton pinned a wreath over Hopt's
heart and told him to be firm and look
straight at the guns and death would
come quickly, and he would not be multi
ated, but that he would be if he hinched.
The condemned man showed the ut
most frmness, and said he forgave every
body, but that if he had had a fair show
on the first trial he would not be here to-
day. lie came out of his cell smoking a
cigar, and kept it in his mouth to the
last, and posed as if for a photograph.
lie was seated upon a chair upon a
blanket, and sat up firm and straight.
Marshal Dyer gave the words: Ready,
fire. The crack of five rifles rang out
as one, and the rigid body of the dead
man retained its pose, the body falling
forward and the chair falling over back
wards, the stiff limbs resting on the u
as when he sat upright. Two bullets
pierced the small rosette pinned over his
heart, one a little above another a little
below, M cartridge being blank. Death
was instantaneous.
The case was one of great celebrity in
Utah and Wyoming for the length and
atrocious circumstances. The murder was
committed at Park City, Utah, on the
night of January 3, 1880, the victim being
John f.. Turner, son of John w. Turner,
sheriff Of Utah county. TurDer had
started out with two teams to get work.
He met Hopt, who had been in jail at
Provo, the county seat of Utah county,
for drunkenness and horse stealing, and
engaged himself to help drive the teams.
They camped together and were Joined
later by Jack Emerson. The deed was
committed about 10 o'clock in the even
ing, with an axe. Next day Hopt and
Emerson started with the teams, trading
of the grain in the wagons for whisky
and provisions. The dead body was in
the bottom OF the wagon under the sacks
OF grain. That night Hopt covered the
body with rocks and brush and tried to
burn 1t. The teams were then turned
eastward and one was sold by Hopt at
Piedmont and the other at Green River.
Hopt took the money and had a gay time
with whisky and women at Cheyenne,
till Sheriff Turner, the father of the muir
dered man, caught up with him and
identified him.
in the meantime the body had been
found, identified and an inquest held.
On the way from Cheyenne hither at
Green River and at Echo attempts were
made to lynch Hopt, but he was protected
by Sheriff Turner, who had Hopt in GUS
tody
The first trial began Feb. I6, 1881, and
resulted in conviction; but the United
States supreme court ordered a new trial
because the judges instructions were not
reduced to writing, as required by law.
The second conviction on March 3, 1883,
was reversed on account of Judge Hun
ter errors. \. third trial was had April
%, with another conviction. Another
appeal was made, and the United States
supreme court again reversed the finding
and ordered Il new trial because the rec
ord did not contain the charge of Judge
Hunter. Pending this appeal the terri
torlal Judges refused to grant a stay of
execution and IIopt was about to be shot
to death in spite of his appeal, when
Acting Governor Thomas granted a res
pite. The fourth trial was before Judge
Cane, and lasted from Sept. u to Sept.
Is, 1885. Conviction and appeals as be-
fore, and judgment was affirmed. A re-
mittiture reached the third district court
here June "a, 1887, and on June "a the
court fixed the time for the execution for
August H.. Hopt having been given his
choice between hanging and shooting, as
the law Of Utah provides, he chose to be
shot to death. Thus the final scene
came to this tedious case.